The present invention relates to a tool for splitting balks of firewood and to a wood-splitting machine equipped with this tool.
Wooden balks, cut to a length of one meter and a diameter greater than 15-20 cm, are systematically split longitudinally to make it easier to handle them, accelerate subsequent drying, and favor combustion.
In most cases, splitting is carried out manually, with the aid of wedges, weights and cleaving axes. In the remaining cases, splitting is mechanized, either using a tapered screw system, or using a hydraulic wedge system.
For each of these systems, various types of drive may be used. Electric motors have been used, but such use is not very widespread as splitting is not carried out in the forest and performance is mediocre. Steam engines have been used, but such systems have far too high a cost. Systems have been coupled to a "three-point" hitch of a tractor or to its hydraulic take-off, and the performance of such systems are good. However, a powerful tractor is required.
Presently, only owners of agricultural tractors use mechanical splitting machines. Splitting machines using a tapered screw (for example, as described in FR 2 462 979) are the most widespread and least expensive.
It remained desirable to provide a machine of a completely new type, which was directed to the vast majority of users, primarily lumberjacks (amateur or semi-professional), who still split wood manually.